Basket for a Basque Pelota Game

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a basket for the game of Basque pelota comprising a rigid structure that makes up the mouth of the basket, which defines a conventionally formed rim similar to that of a conventional basket, to the ends of which a longitudinally curved paddle is fastened with a similar configuration to that of the central rib of a conventional basket, which transversely has a concave section with greater depth at the central area or box than on the end areas close to the tip and to the proximal end of the piece, which is fastened by a series of transverse tensioners, which include a concave piece on the inside thereof that occupies the middle area of the basket in the area of impact, hulling and the exit of the ball towards the tip, which closes the gap existing between the paddle and the rigid structure by both sides.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

In the game of Basque pelota there are three modalities: Cesta-Punta, Remonte and Plaza Libre (Joko Garbi), which are played using a basket as a tool. In Cesta-Punta, the ball is not directly returned with the tool, but rather it is first gathered with the basket and then after gaining momentum it is returned to the fronton, or wall: while in the modality of remonte, the ball is hit at the height of one's hand and is gathered in the basket and hurled out of the tip of the basket in a continuous motion in which the ball is constantly moving; and lastly, in Joko Garbi, the ball is received and hurled with minimal reaction time, in a constant back and forth movement.

The basket used for the game of Basque pelota in these modalities is a type of concave paddle that has the shape of a claw, which is held by the player normally through a glove sewn to the proximal end of the paddle, which is further secured with the help of a strap tied to the rear end of the same, called a taco. The object of the invention is a basket with these characteristics, which, unlike traditional baskets, is entirely made of metal and synthetic materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A traditional basket is basically made with strips of chestnut and wicker. It is normal for the box of a basket to have around thirteen longitudinal chestnut ribs that run from the proximal part, where the basket is gripped, to the tip of the basket, situated on the distal end thereof. Wicker is used to weave these ribs, thereby forming a typical body of a conventional and known basket with a tip (cesta punta). Document ES-U0025679 describes a basket with a tip (cesta punta) and a remonte basket for the game of Basque pelota with these characteristics.

These types of conventional baskets, being manufactured in a hand-crafted way, have very high prices. It is difficult to achieve to equivalent baskets, and given that they are made of elements such as wood, vegetable fiber and leather, they are fragile, very susceptible to changing weather conditions and require expensive maintenance and care. The useful life thereof is reduced and, in some cases, they are permanently damaged due ruptures in short time periods of use. In these circumstances, the price of the material has a dissuading effect for users. For these reasons and others, there have been several developments of baskets made entirely or partially of synthetic materials, among which we can find in the following patent literature:

Document ES1019136 describes a mixed basket, in which the structure, in the form of a rim and mitten, is made up of a single-piece body molded in a highly-resistant synthetic material, which provides support for making the body of the paddle on the same, which is done by weaving chestnut ribs, in the traditional way.

Document ES2119666 by the this applicant describes a basket with a tip (cesta punta) that comprises a rim-shaped structure, that runs from the handgrip to the tip in which the box is bound, which is made up of a web of synthetic material that is tied to the entire periphery of the opening and defines the rear receptacle, which allows the ball the be received and hurled.

Document ES2140271 describes a glove (chistera) for playing the games of Basque pelota, which is made up of a support structure and a traditional hollow and elongated box, joined and integrated into the structure, which is made in a composite material that has an adapted rigidity, this box comprising on the inner face thereof a relatively elastic coating that has patterns in relief distributed on the surface thereof.

Document ES2215424 describes a basket for playing cesta punta, made up of a grooved piece of plastic material that defines the areas of hurling, receiving and attaching to the users hand, which along the edges thereof has a continuous rib that provides rigidity to the same.

The problems of durability and the attempts to industrialize the manufacturing of baskets for Basque pelota seem to be solved by these types of materials, but the problem of providing the basket box, which makes up the areas of receiving and hurling the ball, with a certain flexibility, continue, which is achieved by traditional baskets, and which has prevented a greater acceptance of the same by players.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The aforementioned drawbacks are those which have led to the creation of a basket such as the one envisaged in the present invention, which is made up of at least three pieces mounted in such a way that the basket has a dynamic behavior over the course of the game, allowing for greater specific features of the same. This basket is entirely made up of different synthetic and/or metal materials, which also allow the manufacturing costs of the product to be substantially reduced, likewise ensuring greater durability of the basket, and as such, the wear of the material in each game is substantially reduced.

The basket envisaged herein comprises a rigid structure, which makes up the mouth of the same and which is conveniently formed in a similar fashion to the rims and tip, in the horseshoe shape of a conventional basket, which closes at the proximal end with a transverse piece, which we will also refer to as a taco due to the equivalence thereof to that of a conventional basket.

Coupled to this rigid structure is a piece in the form of a paddle, made of a rigid or semi-rigid material, which has a grooved form and variable depth, this piece having less depth at the distal end or tip of the basket, increasing in depth towards the middle area of the piece, progressively reducing the depth thereof again as it advances towards the proximal end of the piece, being the area near the taco. This paddle is preferably made with woven carbon and aramid, impregnated with epoxy resin, running longitudinally in a similar way to the central rib of a conventionally woven basket. Said paddle is fixed by the ends thereof to the ends of the aforementioned rigid structure, the distal and proximal ends of both pieces coinciding. Furthermore, a series of transverse tensioners, each one joined by one of the ends thereof to one of the rims and which passes over the paddle to be joined to the other rim, allow the fastening of this type of paddle along the rims at variable distances. This configuration of a rigid structure, paddle and tensioners allow the rigid structure and paddle to interact in a dynamic way, both when the force applied by the player is transmitted to the ball during a throw, and when the ball is received by the player, and moreover, this configuration of pieces allows the flexibility of the basket to be adjusted or personalized to the user's preferences.

The previously described assembly is complemented by a concave piece, in the form of a box, situated in the middle area of the basket, between the paddle and the rigid structure, which is fastened at the lateral edges thereof to the rims of the rigid structure, closing the existing gap in the middle area of the basket between the paddle and the rigid structure on both sides. Said concave piece made of semi-rigid and/or flexible material makes up an area of direct impact and a transition area between the impact area and the exit of the ball toward the tip. Lastly, a glove is fastened to the mitten at the proximal area and on the rear face, where the gloves of baskets are traditionally fastened. The glove with a similar configuration to that of the traditional glove and manufactured with synthetic materials and/or leather and the traditional strap make up the elements used to tie and fasten the player's hand to the basket.

The basket of the invention allows the manufacturing thereof in an industrial, non-artisanal way, yet it may be personalized depending on the characteristics of each modality of the game and on the preferences of each player, able to be adapted to the mobility and flexibility of the paddle defined by the bottom of the basket box, by varying the tension exerted by the transverse tensioners that fasten the rims of the structure and the position thereof along the same.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention are more easily understood with the help of the following description, made based on a practical embodiment; this description being based on the drawings of the attached figures, in which an exemplary, non-limiting, embodiment is shown.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a basket made according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an elevated side view and a plan view from the inner face of a basket according to the present invention, with the goal of understanding where the different elements making up the same are positioned.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show perspective views of the paddle (2), the rigid structure (1) and the concave piece (3), respectively, situated in the box of the basket.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of one of the central tensioners (4) of the basket.

FIG. 7 shows the rigid structure (1), provided in this case with a cover (6) that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners (4) in said rigid structure.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen in the figures, the rigid structure (1) is made up of a conveniently arched and bent rim at the tip in a horseshoe shape. This structure has the classic shape of a horseshoe of a conventional basket, closed on the proximal end by a transverse piece referred to as a taco (11), due to the equivalence thereof to a conventional basket, which slightly protrudes at both sides thereof with the goal of fastening the user's hand into the glove (5) by means of a strap.

In FIG. 3 one can see the paddle (2) that makes up the base of the basket itself. This piece is manufactured in a rigid or semi-rigid material and runs similarly to a central rib of a conventional basket made of wicker in which the concavity progresses from the tip (p) along the hurling area, the maximum depth being in the area of the box (c), from which the depth is reduced as it approaches the front end (e) by which the basket is gripped.

The paddle (2) is fastened at the ends thereof to the ends of the rigid structure (1), being separated from the same along the entire central area coinciding with the box of the basket. Along this entire intermediate area, the paddle (2) and the structure (1) are related by means of a series of transverse tensioners (4), the ends of which are joined at the sides of the structure (1), passing over the outside of the paddle (2). These tensioners (4) are placed at variable distances, preferably closer to each other in the posterior area or hurling area, and further separated at the bottom or box of the basket, to be able to personalize or adjust the flexibility of the basket to the user's preferences, as well as achieve a dynamic behavior, both when the force applied by the player is transmitted to the ball during the hurling thereof, and when the ball is received by the player.

From the area where the hurl is initiated (c) to the area where the ball is hurled (p) at the tip of the basket, the paddle (2) has longitudinal grooves (21) that provide the necessary deformation in this area the moment force is applied to the ball, providing sensations similar to those produced by a conventional wicker basket. These grooves (21) have a variable length in order to adapt to the user's preferences.

FIG. 5 shows the concave piece (3) which is placed in the middle area of the basket (called box), between the paddle (2) and the rigid structure (1), which is fastened at the lateral edges thereof to the rims of the rigid structure (1), retained by the tightening action exerted by the tensioners (4) on the paddle (2), against the rigid structure (1). This piece (3) closes the gap existing in the middle area of the basket between the paddle (2) and the rigid structure (1) on both sides and makes up the area of direct impact and transition between the impact area and area of the exit of the ball towards the tip. This concave piece (3) is made of semi-rigid and/or flexible material.

The glove is fastened to the proximal area, where the gloves of baskets are traditionally fastened. The glove, with a similar configuration to that of a traditional glove and manufactured with synthetic materials and/or leather, and the traditional strap, make up the elements used to tie and fasten the player's hand to the basket.

FIG. 7 shows a cover (6), which covers the rigid structure (1), facilitating the anchoring of the tensioners (4) in said rigid structure. This cover preferably has a lip (61) oriented toward the inside of the basket, which contributes to fastening the concave piece (3) inside the paddle (2). 

1. A basket for the game of Basque pelota, which comprises a rigid structure that makes up the mouth of the basket, defined by a conventionally formed rim similar to a rim of a conventional basket, with a tip in a horseshoe shape and dosed at the end proximal to the player's hand by means of a transverse piece referred to as a taco, fastening a glove on the outer face of the paddle to tie the user's hand to the basket, wherein the basket further comprises: a) a paddle that is fastened at the tip and at the distal end of the rigid structure, which is longitudinally curved with a configuration similar to that of the central rib of a conventional basket and transversely has a concave section with greater depth in the central area or box than at the end areas close to the tip and the proximal end of the piece; b) a series of tensioners transverse to the rigid structure with variable lengths and positioning, which are fastened joined at the ends thereof to the respective rims of the structure and pass over the outside of the paddle keeping it pressed against the structure of the basket; and c) a concave piece made in a semi-rigid and/or flexible material, situated in the middle area of the basket, placed between the paddle and the rigid structure, closing the existing gap on both sides thereof.
 2. The basket for the game of Basque pelota, according to claim 1, wherein the paddle has a width that is progressively greater from the tip to the box or deepest area of the basket and from this area towards the proximal area, where the glove is fastened on the outer face thereof.
 3. The basket for the game of Basque pelota, according to claim 1, wherein from the area where the hurl is initiated to the area where the ball is hurled at the tip of the basket, the paddle has one or several longitudinal grooves.
 4. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 1, wherein the concave is retained at the lateral edges of the rims of the rigid structure by the tightening action exerted by the tensioners on the paddle against the rigid structure.
 5. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 1, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 6. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 5, wherein the cover of the rigid structure has a lip oriented toward the inside of the basket and which contributes to fastening the concave piece inside the paddle.
 7. The basket for the game of Basque pelota, according to claim 2, wherein from the area where the hurl is initiated to the area where the ball is hurled at the tip of the basket, the paddle has one or several longitudinal grooves.
 8. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 2, wherein the concave piece is retained at the lateral edges of the rims of the rigid structure by the tightening action exerted by the tensioners on the paddle against the rigid structure.
 9. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 3, wherein the concave piece is retained at the lateral edges of the rims of the rigid structure by the tightening action exerted by the tensioners on the paddle against the rigid structure.
 10. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 7, wherein the concave piece is retained at the lateral edges of the rims of the rigid structure by the tightening action exerted by the tensioners on the paddle against the rigid structure.
 11. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 2, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 12. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 3, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 13. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 7, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 14. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 8, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 15. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 9, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 16. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 10, wherein the rigid structure has a cover that facilitates the anchoring of the tensioners in said rigid structure.
 17. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 11, wherein the cover of the rigid structure has a lip oriented toward the inside of the basket and which contributes to fastening the concave piece inside the paddle.
 18. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 12, wherein the cover of the rigid structure has a lip oriented toward the inside of the basket and which contributes to fastening the concave piece inside the paddle.
 19. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 13, wherein the cover of the rigid structure has a lip oriented toward the inside of the basket and which contributes to fastening the concave piece inside the paddle.
 20. The basket for the game of Basque pelota according to claim 14, wherein the cover of the rigid structure has a lip oriented toward the inside of the basket and which contributes to fastening the concave piece inside the paddle. 